Image forming apparatus, image forming system and computer readable recording medium storing control program for the image forming apparatus

Abstract

A connection recognition section for recognizing that the unit is mounted and/or the external device is connected and a control section for managing the unit and/or external device and managing the job are provided, wherein the control section responds to the recognition results from the connection recognition section, and checks to determine whether the unit is mounted or dismounted and/or external device is connected or disconnected. When jobs are being created, it is possible to create any inexecutable job under the current apparatus configuration on the assumption that the not yet mounted unit and/or not yet connected external device being managed is used.

1 . An image forming apparatus which allows a unit to be mounted on/demounted from and/or an external device to be connected to/disconnected from the image forming apparatus, comprising:
 a connection recognition section to recognize that the unit is mounted and/or the external device is connected; and   a control section to manage the unit and/or the external device and managing a job, wherein   the control section receives a recognition result from the connection recognition section and checks to determine whether the unit is mounted or dismounted and/or the external device is connected or disconnected and wherein allows to create a currently inexecutable job that is unable to be executed under the current apparatus configuration on the assumption that the not yet mounted unit and/or the not yet connected external device being managed is used.   
     
     
         2 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the control section allows the currently inexecutable job to be created as a stored job. 
     
     
         3 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the control section stores the currently inexecutable job as a stored job. 
     
     
         4 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the control section allows the currently inexecutable job to be created on the assumption that the not yet mounted unit and/or the not yet connected external device being retained and managed is used. 
     
     
         5 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the control section manages a usage history of the unit and/or the external device, and allows the currently inexecutable job to be created on the assumption that the not yet mounted unit and/or the not yet connected external device that has ever been used is used. 
     
     
         6 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising an operation and display section that is ready to accept an entry related to the operation, wherein the control section receives the entry related to the operation made on the operation and display section and makes it possible to select a function provided by the not yet mounted unit and/or the not yet connected external device whose use is assumed when the currently inexecutable job is created. 
     
     
         7 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the control section presents one display for selecting a function provided by the not yet mounted unit and/or the not yet connected external device and another display for selecting the function being executable under the current apparatus configuration separately from each other on the operation and display section. 
     
     
         8 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the control section presents a list of stored jobs on the operation and display section, from which a list of the stored jobs being executable under the current apparatus configuration is displayed on the priority order. 
     
     
         9 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claims 1 , wherein the control section manages stored jobs and waiting jobs for execution separately from each other, and causes an executable job to be managed as s waiting job for execution if the executable job is included in the stored jobs. 
     
     
         10 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claims 1 , wherein the control section causes the currently inexecutable job to be managed as an executable job when the not yet mounted unit and/or the not yet connected external device whose use is assumed by the currently inexecutable job is mounted and/or connected so that the currently inexecutable job under the current apparatus configuration can become an executable job. 
     
     
         11 . The image forming apparatus as defined in  claims 6 , wherein the control section makes an inquiry on the operation and display section to determine whether the executable job is managed as a waiting job for execution when the executable job is included in stored job, wherein the control section will switch the management to the management as a waiting job for execution if the management as a waiting job for execution is selected, and will switch the management to the management as a stored job if the management as the waiting job for execution is not selected. 
     
     
         12 . An image forming system, comprising:
 a plurality of the image forming apparatuses as defined in any one of  claims 1  through  11 ; and   a network for interconnecting the plurality of the image forming apparatuses so that they can communicate with each other, wherein when a job is being created, the control section that is provided in one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses allows a currently inexecutable job under the current apparatus configuration to be created on the assumption that a unit not yet mounted on and/or an external device not yet connected to the one image forming apparatus and being managed by the control section will be used.   
     
     
         13 . An image forming system, comprising:
 a plurality of the image forming apparatuses as defined in any one of  claims 1  through  11 ; and   a network for interconnecting the plurality of the image forming apparatuses so that they can communicate with each other, wherein when a job is being created, the control section that is provided in one of the plurality of the image forming apparatuses allows a currently inexecutable job under the current apparatus configuration to be created on the assumption that a unit not yet mounted on and/or an external device not yet connected to the one image forming apparatus and being managed by the control section or a control section that is provided in any of the image forming apparatuses other than the one image forming apparatus will be used.   
     
     
         14 . An image forming system, comprising:
 an image forming apparatus that allows a unit to be mounted on/demounted from and/or an external device to be connected to/disconnected from the image forming apparatus;   a network for connecting the image forming apparatus so that the image forming apparatus can communicate with the network; and   a control section connected to the network so that the control section can communicate with the network, wherein   the image forming apparatus includes a connection recognition section for recognizing that the unit is mounted on and/or the external device is connected to;   the control section receives a recognition result from the connection recognition section, obtains a management information for the unit and/or the external device, and checks to determine whether the unit is mounted on/demounted from and/or the external device is connected to/disconnected from the image forming apparatus, wherein when a job that is to be executed on the image forming apparatus is being created, the control section allows a currently inexecutable job under the current apparatus configuration to be created on the assumption that the unit not yet mounted on and/or the external device not yet connected to the image apparatus and being managed is used.   
     
     
         15 . The image forming system as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the management for the unit and/or external device is performed by the control section. 
     
     
         16 . The image forming system as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the management for the unit and/or external device is performed by the image forming apparatus on which the job is executed or any other image forming apparatus connected to the network, and the management information is obtained by the control section from the image forming apparatus that provides the management information through the network. 
     
     
         17 . A computer readable recording medium storing control program for the image forming apparatus that allows a unit to be mounted on/demounted from and/or an external device to be connected to/disconnected from and including a connection recognition section for recognizing that the unit is mounted and/or the external device is connected, wherein the control program comprises:
 a step of receiving a recognition result from the connection recognition section and checking to determine whether the unit is mounted or demounted and/or the external device is connected or disconnected;   a step of obtaining a management information related to the management of the unit and/or external device; and   a step of creating a job, wherein   during the step of creating the job, allowing a currently inexecutable job under the current apparatus configuration to be created on the assumption that a unit not yet being mounted on and/or an external device not yet being connected to the image forming apparatus and being managed by the image forming apparatus is used.